Germany has agreed to resume talks on the sale of additional three diesel-electric submarines to Israel after an Israeli corruption probe jeopardized the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU).
The corruption scandal has seen seven Israeli officials arrested and prompted Germany to put talks about the sale of further submarines on hold in July this year.
Israeli officials on Friday said the talks on the submarine purchase were resumed, according to AFP. While Germany noted the deal had not been signed yet, Israeli officials indicated that the decision was definite, AFP wrote.
The deal is reported to have a clause which says no officials and decision-makers involved in the submarine purchase can be involved in corrupt actions.
Israel is already operating five German-built Dolphin-class submarines with another one set to join the fleet in 2018.
The three new submarines are set to replace Israel’s first three Dolphin submarines in about a decade maintaining the country’s submarine fleet at six units.
The Dolphin-class is divided into two batches of boats. The first three submarines that were commissioned between 1999 and 2000 were enlarged German 209-class submarines while the second batch submarines, delivered from 2014 onward, feature AIP (air-independent propulsion) and are rumored to carry nuclear missiles.